Germans Hunt 10 More Terror Suspects, Media Yawns

The sign on the door reads: "Islam is Peace!"

Why let a little story about potential massive terror attacks get in the way of kvelling over Larry Craig or dismissing the upcoming Petraeus report?

Authorities Hunt 10 Further Suspects in Terror Case

Authorities are on the trail of 10 further suspects involved in a terror plot to bomb targets in Germany after three arrests Tuesday. Meanwhile Interior Minister Wolfgang Schäuble has warned of the danger from German converts to Islam and called again for online surveillance of suspects.

Two days after three terror suspects were arrested (more...) in Germany, the authorities are still looking for "around 10" further suspects connected to the case.

Interior Ministry official August Hanning told German broadcaster ARD Thursday of a network involving Germans, Turks and people of other nationalities. "This is the network that we are currently aware of," he said. The 40 raids which took place around Germany in connection with the arrests provided more information about the group's contacts.

Online surveillance? But ... but ... that's domestic spying!

The three suspects, who appeared before a court in Karlsruhe Wednesday, have been identified as the German converts to Islam 28-year-old Fritz G. and 21-year-old Daniel S., and 28-year-old Adem Y., who is Turkish. Prosecutors said the three had undergone training at camps in Pakistan run by the Islamic Jihad Union, a little-known Sunni Muslim group with roots in Uzbekistan and ties to al-Qaida.

The terror cell had been the focus of an undercover investigation for months. In the largest police operation since the "German Autumn" of 1977 when the far-left RAF terror group kidnapped leading industrialist Hanns-Martin Schleyer, around 300 officers observed the suspects around the clock for half a year. A further 300 officers were involved in the arrests Tuesday.

Naturally, the New York Times downplays any link to Al Qaeda. They needs photographic evidence, apparently, of the suspects hanging out with Osama.

Mr. Ziercke said the men belonged to a terrorist group that the police suspected of having close ties to Al Qaeda, though he did not offer evidence of those links. Counterterrorism experts here expressed wariness, noting that in almost every major attack or suspected plot since 9/11, the role of Al Qaeda has been raised but rarely substantiated.

The Times failed to name any of their experts, whose claims are rarely correct.

More from Jules Crittenden.

UPDATE: Bryan at Hot Air has an interesting post plus a history lesson.